Revisiting MARS ATTACKS! in 4K

MARS ATTACKS! (4K UHD)

1996 / 106 min

Warner Bros

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Review by Stinky the Destroyer😺

One of the black sheep in Tim Burton’s filmography, Mars Attacks! was a critical and commercial disappointment thirty years ago, his own equivalent to Spielberg’s 1941. In Burton’s defense, the film’s failure wasn’t entirely his fault. Even with his reputation and a cast of A-listers big enough to rival The Ten Commandments, releasing this one so soon after 1996’s other big-budget alien invasion movie doesn’t rank among the wisest Hollywood decisions ever made.

But aside from bad timing, I think the biggest issue with Mars Attacks! might’ve been that it was directed by a guy trying to make a cult film for a studio expecting him to crank out another blockbuster. That it ultimately did become something of a cult film is neither here nor there. With its obscure trading card origins, exaggerated characters, wild aesthetic and an overall emphasis on black comedy, the film was always destined to appeal to a niche crowd.

That being said, revisiting Mars Attacks! all these years later more-or-less confirms what I’ve personally always felt about it. Like 1941, it’s a film guided by boundless enthusiasm (on both sides of the camera), but mostly anchored by a one-joke premise that’s mildly amusing, though seldom hilarious. And once the basic plot and characters are established, it becomes a series of visual gags and set-pieces that could almost be placed in any order without disrupting the narrative too much. 

These guys should pay today's congress a visit.

While the impressive cast does what they can with the caricatures they’ve been given, the appeal of the film has always been largely aesthetic. And in that respect, Mars Attacks! might arguably be one of Burton’s most interesting efforts. The director’s films have always been triumphs of production design and this one is no exception. But in addition to that, the rendering of the Martians, as well as their ships and cartoony weapons, are great fun simply to look at. Speaking as someone who isn’t the world’s biggest Tim Burton fan, such amusing eye candy (aided by a fun sense of mean-spiritedness) is probably the reason I revisit this one more often than his others. 

And I gotta say, the thing looks wonderful in 4K. The overall image is very sharp, and the film’s frequent use of bright, garish color really stands out, much more so than on the previous Blu-ray release. There are also two audio options, the original theatrical mix and a brand new Dolby Atmos track. I’ve always loved Danny Elfman’s playful score, and it sounds terrific here. And finally, sweetening the deal for fans are two all new retrospective bonus features (see below). 

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - Looking Back at Mars Attacks! features interviews with several people involved in the film’s production; Ack! Ack! Aesthetic is more of a continuation of the first featurette, with more of a focus on creating the Martians.

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